Thursday, April 30, 2015

4/29/2015

AM
8 sets:
500m row @90% aerobic
4 alternating weighted pistols, start very light and add a little each set if possible
2:30 walk rest

PM
A. 1 power snatch + 3 overhead squats, build quickly to a tough set
+
For time:
400m run
15 axle shoulder to overhead, 90
150 double unders
9 muscle ups
40m handstand walk
+
3 sets:
:30 airdyne @97%
4:30 rest

AM
2:01.5 (8#)
2:02.3 (10#)
2:01.9 (15#)
2:01.7 (20#)
2:02.0 (25#)
2:01.9 (35#)
2:01.9 (35#)
2:01.5 (40#)

PM
A. 135
+
9:59
+
complete


AM session was tough, the rows started getting painful around the 5th set. Weighted pistols felt pretty good, although it was definitely a challenge to go right from the row to a heavy pistol since my legs were getting fatigued. I'm very pleased with how much my pistols have improved though. 

The 135 power snatch was very easy, it was the overhead squats that were the limiter. I think if I kept snatching I would have been able to hit 145 for sure but the OHS were getting shaky so I called it. 

The running/STO piece was way too slow. Dammit. I'm still pouting about it. I paced the run too slow. Then the shoulder to overhead should have just been touch and go but for some reason I was resting a second before I would do the next rep. I should have cycled them much faster. I broke up the double unders 60/40/30/20. My shoulders were pretty tired by the time I got to the muscle ups. I broke them up 4/3/2 with too much rest between sets. Then I rested way too long before starting the handstand walk. Stephen had me do the handstand walk around the rig, that was pretty cool and a good way to measure it. Everything was just too slow. I think since I was working out with Pat I was just trying to stay ahead of him instead of taking it at a regionals pace like I should have. This is the problem for me mentally when I work out with other people, when they drop the bar or take a break I usually do the same because I'm like "well they're stopping so I'll stop for a second." I just wasn't pushing hard enough on this. Mehhhhhh.

4/28/2015

A. Squat clean and jerk gauntlet, 1 rep every :60 starting @125 and adding 10 every :60
+
For 10:00
Evens- 1 legless rope climb to 12'
Odds- 10 wall balls, 14 to 10
+
For 10:00
Evens- 3-5 strict handstand push ups
Odds- 3 power clean to overhead, start @105 and add a bit from there
+
For 10:00
Evens- 3 toes to bar + 2 CTB pull ups + 1 bar muscle up
Odds- 50 double unders

A. 195 (cleaned 205, failed the jerk)
+
complete
+
complete
5 HSPUs each set
PCTO- 105-115-125-135-145
+
complete


TODAY WAS REALLY FUN GUYS.

I felt great today and everything was really enjoyable!

The clean gauntlet went well, although I wasn't punching under my jerks at all. Every set I would think "okay I'm going to drop under the jerk this time" and then I just wouldn't for some reason. I was extremely surprised I cleaned 205 and it felt EASY. I was shocked at how easy it was to stand up. The jerk was a different story, it barely even came off my shoulders. Merrrrr. I waited a minute then tried again but the clean was basically just a pull the second time. Oh well. I was happy about the 205 clean but I wish the jerks would have been better. 

Legless rope climbs were fast and easy today, I really enjoy those. I wasn't sure where 12 feet was so I basically just went to the top without reaching up and touching the beam. Wall balls were easy as well. 

My strict handstand push ups have gotten so much better, I was able to do 5 each set. I was talking to Stephen about it afterwards and he said if I've lost weight (which I have since the Open ended) then it's not surprising my strict HSPU have improved. Neat! 

TTB/CTB/Bar MU complex was fine as per usual. I kept tripping up on the double unders though, that was annoying. I think I tripped in the first and second set. 

Overall a great day! 


4/27/2015

30:00 airdyne @Z1 

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

2015 NPGL Combine Recap

Two weeks ago I had to opportunity to attend the 2015 NPGL Combine in Hyattsville, Maryland. An invitation to the combine meant the coaches and scouts at the various Pro Days had seen potential in us and wanted to give us the chance to race on teams with other athletes who shared the same love for the sport of Grid. 120 athletes traveled from all over the country to attend the combine, and it was the final opportunity for us to show the coaches what we were capable of. This was the final step before the 2015 NPGL Draft. 

Much like my recap of the Open, I'm going to split this into highlights instead of breaking it down race by race, otherwise this would be 30 pages long. But before I get to the highlights...

A quick summary
On both days we were sorted into different teams and we were lead by the actual Grid coaches. On Day 1 I was coached by Dusty Hyland of the LA Reign and on Day 2 I was coached by Jeremy Jones of the San Fransisco Fire. Most teams had about 6 females and 10 males, everyone specializing in different things. We had to work with our coaches and talk as a team to decide which athletes would be best suited for the different races. I actually thought this was one of the coolest parts of the combine. It was so interesting to me to be a part of the process of how the coaches decide how to run the athletes through the races. We had to go through exact rep schemes, transitions, substitutions, etc. It was like filling in a giant puzzle. Everyone had a specific job in every race. 

On the first day the races were run in full heats, meaning teams 1 and 2 would go through race one, then teams 3 and 4, teams 5 and 6, etc. This wasn't like an actual match because we had a ton of rest between races. On the plus side, it gave us more time to warm up between each race. On the down side, it wasn't really an accurate simulation of how a match actually feels. Day 2 was much more similar to an actual match, it was still run in heats but my group was at the end of the day with only three other teams, so the rest was very minimal. On the first day we ran Pike's Peak, which is an actual Grid match. Day 2 was something totally different, a lot of new elements were introduced (back uprise, backflips, jumping over a wall, etc).  

Racing on the grid is unlike anything I've ever done. We had done two practice matches at CSC so I knew what to expect, but being on the actual grid was just so awesome. Everything was lightning fast and done at a 100% full sprint. It was stressful but extremely fun. It was all about teamwork and communication and I loved it. Now for the highlights....


Highlights from the 2015 NPGL Combine 

1. Hang clean mirror race
Out of all the races the entire weekend, this was the one I wanted to do the most. I can move the bar very well on heavy hang power cleans and I wanted a chance to show it. When we were going through all the races before our team began our match, Dusty asked who could do 10 unbroken hang power cleans at 145 and my hand shot up. I told him I would do as many HPC as he needed me to do. The race was going to be 40 total reps, 10 reps in each quadrant, and the bar could not touch the ground. Dusty told me I would be starting with 10 unbroken HPC in the first quadrant and 10 in the fourth quadrant. I thought it was pretty cool that I got to open and close the race. Our team didn't end up winning this race (I think it was the only race we lost all day) and the transitions got a little confusing, but I still had a blast doing this. It required a lot of communication between teammates and everyone did a good job moving the weight. This was one of my favorite races of the weekend. 

Eric and I closing out the 4th quadrant
2. Races 3&4- Women's Echo on Day 1
This is how the race looked:
One element each station, one person working at a time:
40 1-arm overhead squat, 20kg
40 toes to bar
15 muscle ups
40 power snatches, 95 lbs
5:00 time cap
:30 rest between races then repeat

Since the Grid didn't have any walls for handstand push ups, toes to bar were subbed instead. At first I was bummed out about this, I was really hoping to be able to do some HSPU at some point and I knew this would probably change my role in the race. When we were laying out the team plan for this race, all I knew was that I did NOT want to do any 1-arm overhead squats. No sir. No thank you. I volunteered for the muscle ups right away. We had a few females who could bang out 20 TTB in a row and others who wanted to do the snatches at the end. Dusty asked who could do the 1-arm overhead squats, and the next thing I knew I was raising my hand. My whole attitude changed in that moment, and I was just like yes, put me in, I'll do it. The race started and I did 15 reps then subbed out. Next up for me was 7 unbroken muscle ups and I did those pretty easily. We won the race and had 30 seconds rest before we had to repeat the entire thing. My partner and I went out in the first quadrant, she did 20 OHS and I did 20. Then I had about :90 before I had to go back out and do 7 more unbroken muscle ups. I was really tired at this point from doing the 1-arm OHS but I knew I had to just suck it up do it, and I did. I hit 7 muscle ups and tagged in the next person. Our team won that race as well. It was an awesome moment for me because I ended up doing well on the 1-arm overhead squats, a movement that I originally struggled with, and I was able to deliver on the muscle ups even though I was very fatigued. This really boosted my confidence and it proved that I can do the work even when I don't think I can (but more on that later).

I believe I can fly
3. Watching Eric and Julian hit the back uprise during the relay race on Day 2
This was the final race of the combine on Day 2. There were 8 different movements, many of them new elements the athletes had never done before, and only one person could work at a time. One of the elements was the back uprise, which is basically a muscle up in reverse? We had one guy on our team (Julian) who was pretty sure he could do a few reps, but no one on the team was 100% confident about hitting it. We started the relay and when it came time for the back uprise, Julian came out and did a couple sets of 2 reps, which was awesome. Our team would get really excited every time he did a rep. After Julian did his half, he went and tagged in Eric. Eric did one rep, then another, then another, then another. It was awesome. Our team went nuts every time he did a rep. We went from being uncertain about the back uprise to having 2 guys who did them easily. It was a cool moment for our team. 

4. Thruster ladder
Anyone who knows me knows I love a good ladder. It was originally supposed to be a deadlift ladder but they changed it to thrusters, and I was pretty excited. This was going to be the final race of Day 1, they had to cut the rest of the match due to time. Since we didn't get to do a full match, Dusty wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to get through the thruster ladder. I think his exact words were "Fuck it, you're all doing it." He said he would be standing at our last bar and tell us when to run off. Everyone was going through the bars FAST, it was awesome. My original goal was 165 because that's what I hit in practice, but once I hit 150 I knew that was it, my legs were done. We managed to get every single person all the way through the ladder and we still had 10 seconds left before the time cap. We also demolished the other team by quite a few pounds, and our women lifted more as well. As the final 10 seconds were counting down, our team huddled up in a circle and jumped all around and screamed and yelled. It was so great. I felt really connected to my team and it was an excellent way to end the first day. 

My awesome team for the first day!


There were definitely a lot of ups and downs throughout the weekend, and this whole process was a huge learning experience for me, so I want to share some of the things I took away from the combine. 

Here's what I learned

1. Things are not always going to go the way you want 
As we were sitting down with our team on the first day, Dusty said "You guys are going to have to do some things you don't necessarily want to do." He was right. Everyone came in to the combine with specific races they wanted to do and specific movements they wanted to showcase. This is all well and good, it's what the combine is for-to find specialists. But I never really thought about filling in the blanks. I basically went in to the combine thinking "Hang cleans, muscle ups, handstand push ups, that's what I'm doing. Rope climbs, overhead squats, that's what  I DON'T want to do" but I learned that to make the team successful and to move the race forward, I would have to do movements I wasn't crazy about. Some people wanted to do muscle ups but ended up smashing snatches instead. Some people wanted to do cleans but ended up doing really well on the atlas stones. We quickly figured out that we had to stop being so focused on what each person wanted to do and change our focus to what was best for the team. Our coaches did a great job of giving everyone a chance to shine and tried to give everyone the movements they wanted but I learned to accept the fact that at some point I was going to be put on a movement that I didn't necessarily want to do. It happened with the 1-arm overhead squats, and it turned out great in the end. This taught me to go outside my comfort zone and to trust myself as an athlete to do the job well, whatever the task may be. 

2. Communication is key because sometimes things are going to change
On day 2, the mirror race was shoulder to overhead at 165 pounds. We had four females (including me) on our team that were comfortable with that weight and we originally planned to do sets of 5. Once the race started, we quickly realized that plan was going to shit. The weight was a lot heavier than we expected and after the first 10 reps we were down to 3s and 4s. This was not our plan but we had to roll with it and adapt, and that's why it was so important for us to communicate with each other. While one person was doing the STO the other two would have to decide who was feeling fresh enough to go next, and the athlete with the bar had to communicate when she was ready to switch since we weren't sure how many reps each person was going to do from there on out. Jeremy did a great job of helping us transition and I actually never felt panicked (except when the bar slipped out of my hands and I dropped it, errrr sorry guys). You have to communicate because you can't leave a teammate hanging. In the end, we didn't finish the race before the time cap, but I thought we did a good job of helping each other and figuring things out as we went. 

"Don't drop the bar don't drop the bar-ehhhh dammit"
3. Competing on a team will push you to new limits
This was probably the biggest thing I took away from the combine. I can honestly say there were points during the races where I wanted to sub out because I was tired and I felt like I couldn't keep going, but I didn't stop. We all pushed hard. When you compete as an individual, you're competing for yourself. There's no one relying on you and no one waiting on you. When you compete on a team, you are one part of the giant machine and there are people that need you to do your part quickly and efficiently so the machine can keep moving. During the women's echo race on day one when it came time for me to muscle ups the second time around, I honestly didn't think I could do 7 unbroken. I was so tired and I had never done that many unbroken under that kind of fatigue. As I was doing the muscle ups, the only thing I was thinking about were the people at the starting line who were relying on me to do my part, so I did it. When it comes down to it, you will find a way to go hard for your team because they need you to do it. We all played an important part in getting our team from the first quadrant to the finish line. If your coach needs you to do something, you don't ask questions, you just do it because that's what's best for the team. You trust each other and help each other because that's what teammates do. I will take this experience and use it for regionals, I know I can push myself past what I thought my limits were. It's a great feeling to succeed on a team because you know you did it together and everyone played a part.

Team on Day 2!
The combine was an enlightening and fun experience, and I'm going to take what I learned and apply it to my training over the next year. I didn't get drafted and I didn't really expect to be, I went into the combine looking to take everything in and learn as much as I possibly could. I wanted to race with the best and prove I belonged there. I wanted to get to know the coaches and show what I could do. I am so excited for my friends who were drafted and I fully plan on being part of that list one year from now. 

I want to thank Dusty and Jeremy for being such great coaches and for making my experience so fun. It was great working with both of you and I have no doubt I'll be seeing you again. To my teammates, you guys are equally hilarious as you are talented, and I'm thrilled for those of you who got drafted. It was so awesome getting to race with you and I hope to see you guys next year! 

Katrina, D, Alice, Amanda, Carolyn, Jenna (My Boston Pro Day buddies), it was great getting to see you guys again, I had a blast hanging out with you and I'm so glad we got to all reunite at the combine!

Now it's time to set my sights on regionals and I couldn't be more excited. After attending the combine I feel more ready than ever to compete with my awesome team. Onward!

Up, up, and away to regionals!











Monday, April 27, 2015

4/26/2015

For time:
15 muscle ups- 200m run every time you come off the rings
+
30:00 Airdyne @Z1

4:23
MUs 7/4/4
+
skipped due to time limit, will make up Monday 


Muscle up workout was cool! I ended up having the run twice, I was hoping to hit a muscle up PR of 9 or more but they weren't feeling super great today, my arms were pretty sore. I broke them up 7/4/4. Wallace was there to cheer me on so that was nice. Also had to skip the airdyne because I had to get to work but I will make it up today. 

4/25/2015

A. Shoulder to overhead from the ground, build quickly to a tough triple
B. Overhead squat, build to a tough single
+
For time:
35 CTB pull ups
21 cleans, 125
9 strict handstand push ups
+
For time @95%
750m row

A. 165
B. 165
+
5:00
+
2:52.0


Another solid day. The shoulder to overhead was heavier than I would have liked, I push jerked the first rep at 165 but had to split jerk the last two reps. Merrrrr. I feel like it shouldn't be that hard. I was having flashbacks of last weekend at the combine when I had to do this. I don't know why my shoulder to overhead has been so off lately. 

I was pretty happy with the overhead squat since the last time I did this was before the Open. The actual squat was pretty easy but the behind the neck jerk was the hard part, for some reason it took me a few seconds to stabilize it on 155 and 165, usually the BNJ isn't the issue. 

I was very pleased with my performance on the CTB workout. My butterfly CTB pull ups were so good today! I did 15 in a row easily, then 10/5/5. I'm actually not sure why I stopped at 15, I think I could have kept going. I'm not sure why I keep doing this. I thought I was going to be able to break up the cleans 7/7/7 (classic) but I ended up going 4/4 then 2s then switched to singles at the 14th rep. The cleans were actually the toughest part of the workout and I thought it would be the easiest. I probably should have switched to singles sooner, I was resting too much between sets. Strict HSPU were 5/2/2 with very minimal rest between sets, I'm very happy with my progress on these so far. 

I'm not sure if the row was too slow? It hurt a lot so I feel like I did it at 95%....my legs were on fire after this was over. 

4/24/2015

AM
For time @70-80%
30 row calories
30 alternating DB snatches, 50
150 double unders
30 burpees
30 row calories

PM
A. Snatch, build to a max in 10:00
B. Handstand walk, 3 attempts @max unbroken distance
+
For time:
5 rope climbs
30 wall balls, 20 to 10
3 rope climbs
20 wall balls
1 rope climb
10 wall balls
+
10:00 airdyne @Z1

AM
13:54

PM
A. 150
B. 63 feet (PR)-62 ft-30 ft
+
9:52
+
complete


AM session was very enjoyable. The double unders were actually the hardest part, I broke them up 50/50/30/20. It's tough to do double unders at 80%. Everything else was pretty steady. 

I'm SO PUMPED I snatched 150. YES. It's coming back. I had one failed attempt at 140 but hit it easily the second time. The snatches got easier as the weight got heavier. 

Handstand walk was really fun, 63 feet is definitely a PR. Second attempt was basically the same as the first. The third attempt was only half the distance, I was laughing since someone (cough Stephen cough) was singing circus music as I was doing my handstand walk. I went back and did another attempt but then in my head I was singing the circus music so I made it the same distance because I couldn't stop laughing. 

I feel like the rope climb/wall ball workout was too slow. Rope climbs are definitely getting faster and I'm trying to rest less between climbs, but then I would rest way too much between sets of wall ball. The 20 pound ball to the 10 foot target was rough, I was breaking up sets a lot. 

4/23/2015

30:00 Airdyne @Z1 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

4/22/2015

AM
For time @90%
45 airdyne calories
15m handstand walk
30 airdyne calories
15m handstand walk
15 airdyne calories
15m handstand walk

PM
A. Squat clean, build quickly to a single @80-90% 1RM
+
For 10:00
Evens- 5 touch and go deadlifts, start @175 and add a little from there
Odds- 2-3 strict handstand push ups
+
For 10:00
Evens- 3 toes to bar + 2 CTB pull ups + 1 bar muscle up
Odds- 6 alternating weighted pistols
+
10:00 airdyne @Z1

AM
13:26

PM
A. complete @185
+
complete
3 HSPU each set
DL 175-195-205-215-225
+
complete w/25# KB
+
complete


Errrrrrr......I feel like the AM session took me way too long. I looked at Conner's blog and it only took him like 6:00. I tried to push it on the airdyne calories but I think the handstand walk was definitely the limiter. Shoulders were not warmed up at all, I had limited time since I had to go pick my dad up from the airport so I basically just walked into the gym and started. Broke up the HS walk once on the first and second set but three times on the third. NOT COOL. I would like to redo this one because I know I can do better, just felt very stiff this morning. 

Squat clean felt pretty good today, although my pull is still off. I think I'm rushing it because every time I drop under the bar the timing feels wrong. 

The DL/HSPU piece went really well. Strict HSPU were better than they've ever been, 3 was extremely easy and I definitely could have done more. Deadlifts were easy, 225 was heavy but I was still moving it pretty quickly. 

TTB/CTB/Bar MU is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. I did all the CTB butterfly because I think it's more efficient, I just need to smooth it out a bit. Weighted pistols were more tiring than I thought they would be, although it forced me to stay on my heels since I was holding the DB with both hands and couldn't grab my foot like I normally do. When I do these for Grid practice I usually just do them all on the right leg, but I'm glad Stephen had me do them on both legs. You never know what will come up at regionals...

Today was a great training day, I felt really good. 

Regionals here we come!



Thursday, April 16, 2015

4/15/2015

AM
3 rounds very easy:
200m jog
5/side 1-arm KB overhead squat, 45
500m row

PM
A. Squat clean, 5x1 @95-115-135-155-175-195; not for time, but only rest long enough to change plates, get focused, and make the next lift
B. Deadlift, build very quickly to a single @245
+
For time:
7 DB burpee clusters, 30/hand
20 box overs, 24
60 double unders
1 rope climb
10 power cleans, 105
+
10:00 rest
+
For time:
7 ring muscle ups
7 bar muscle ups
+
10:00 airdyne @Z1

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
B. complete
+
3:49
+
1:44
+
complete


Solid day. I think I went a bit too hard during the AM session, I was really out of breath when it was over. The KB OHS got better with each set, for some reason I can do them perfectly fine on my left arm but on my right arm it's much harder to stay back on my heels. 

Squat cleans were better than last week, no fails today and 195 was much easier to stand up. However, my form still feels off. I think I'm rushing the pull and then dropping under too soon so the bar feels like it's crashing down on me. Everything just felt delayed, if that makes sense. Meh. I know it will get better over time, just like snatching I have to build my confidence back up. I don't like the feeling of walking up to 195 and thinking "I hope I can get under this."

Deadlift was super easy, I went 145-195-215-245. 

The DB piece was tough and my breathing was terrible at the beginning. I tried to do the DB clusters faster than Saturday and they didn't feel as awkward as before. The box jump overs were definitely too slow. I found it's easier on my legs to sort of stay in the bottom of a squat at the top instead of standing halfway up, is that allowed? 24" is high for me, so these weren't pleasant. I tripped up THREE times on the double unders, what the actual eff. I tripped up at 7, 39, and 59. I was pretty pissed, I hardly ever trip up on double unders so I don't know what was going on. The rope climb was fast and the cleans were all quick touch and go. I wasn't super pleased with my performance on this, I've realized I'm pretty uncomfortable handling a DB. 

The muscle up was piece was fun! I broke up the ring muscle ups 5/2, although looking back I feel like I could have done all 7 in a row and I'm not sure why I didn't. I did 5 and I was like "this is probably a good place to take a break" even though I definitely had more in the tank. I need to push myself more on these. I broke up the bar muscle ups 4/3, I was breathing hard at this point. I was happy to do this under 2:00. 

4/14/2015

3000m row @Z1
+
20:00 mobility work of choice

complete
+
complete


Good day of training, row felt great. I worked on some skill stuff for the combine as well- pistols with a barbell overhead, TTB/CTB/bar MU complex, and wall ball to bar. 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

4/13/2015

AM
30:00 airdyne @Z1

PM
A. Squat snatch, build to a max for the day
B. Back squat, build quickly to a single @ 80-90% 1RM
+
3 sets:
2 rope climbs as fast as possible
:90 rest
+
3 sets:
5 hang cleans, 155
:60 rest
+
3 sets:
5 touch and go power snatches, 95
:30 rest
+
For calories:
:40 airdyne
:40 rest
:40 airdyne

AM
complete

PM
A. 145 (150 Fx2)
B. 235
+
:20
:24
:23
+
:12
:13
:13
+
:12
:13
:14
+
17 cal
18 cal


I was so relieved to hit 145 today, if my snatching went as poorly as it did last week I probably would have had a mental breakdown. I also didn't hit my shins at all today, so that's a good sign. I still would have liked to hit 150 (the first attempt was very close, the second attempt was not) but I'm happy with 145 for now. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll continue to build up my confidence with snatching, I just need to get back into it. 

Back squats were fine, the actual squatting was never difficult but putting the bar on my back felt really really heavy. 

Rope climbs were good, I tried to jump right back up to the rope as soon as the first rep was done. These definitely don't make me breathe as hard as they used to. 

Hang cleans hurt like a bitch. My thighs are REAL bruised up, I think they were still raw from Saturday. I also should have taped up my thumbs more for these. 

Snatches were fine for the first two sets but got difficult on the third set. I feel very awkward when I do touch and go snatches. 

The airdyne piece was tough, although I think I should have pushed it more on the first :40. I think I kind of bitched out because I knew I didn't have much rest until I had to go again. I definitely went all out on the second :40. 

A long day but a good one!

Are these hang clean bruises noticeable?


4/11/2015- Grid practice #2

GRID PRACTICE IS THE BEST! I wish every Saturday was like this, it's so much fun. We had a great group today (Brandie, Megan, Eric, Teej and Mark) and the races were awesome too. 

Race 1, 4:00, MF, trading off every movement:
8-6-4-2:
Deadlift, 225/275/315/365  135/185/205/245
Weighted pistol, 25/35/45/55    10/20/30/40

I'm so glad in Grid you're allowed to do pistols on just one leg, because my pistols are on point on my right leg. They're getting really fast. This was actually my first time doing weighted pistols, they actually weren't bad at all. I did the second and third part of this race, so I ended with the 205 deadlift and 30# pistol. I really like this one!

Race 2, 5:00. MMMFFF, bar cannot touch the ground, advance after every 8 reps: 
28 hang cleans, 245/145

This was awesome, hang cleans are my jam. The weight never felt heavy, Megan and I just traded off between 4/3 reps each. 

Race 3&4, 4:00 w/:60 between, FF, 1 working @ a time:
20 1-arm overhead squat, 45
20 handstand push ups
10 muscle ups
20 power snatches, 95

This race is my least favorite, only having a minute between races is a killer. I did enjoy this one a lot more than the one last week. Megan started with the 1-arm overhead squats and did all of them. I did 15 handstand push ups, Brandie did 5 and I started on the muscle ups. I was only able to get 3 before I could feel them slowing down so Brandie took over and did 5. Then Megan did 3 (we did 1 too many) and I started on the power snatches, except I had no idea where the bar was placed so I was basically running around the gym until Stephen pointed me in the right direction. Megan and I traded 6/4 and then 5/5. Our transitions the first time were pretty sloppy, we were never really sure who was on what rep. The second time was much better, transitions were crisp and we were :20 faster. 

Race 5&6, 4:00 w/:60 between, MM, 1 working @ a time:
20 1-arm overhead squat, 70
20 handstand push ups
10 muscle ups
20 power snatches, 145

Race 7, 5:00, all go, 1 @ a time, start anywhere, can skip bars:
Thruster ladder, 85-105-125-145-165-185-205-225-245-265

I LOVE LADDERS. This one was sweet, I actually sort of wish it was going to be a thruster ladder instead of a deadlift ladder at the combine. I went first, everything felt really good up to 145. Stephen told me to take a few seconds before attempting 165, I wasn't sure how it would go since I'm not used to lifting with a men's bar. I ended up hitting it, the clean was easy but the press out was a bit of a struggle. I was happy with it though, considering 165 is my current 1RM thruster. 

Race 8, 6:00, MF, 1 working @ a time:
45 CTB pull ups
30 bar muscle ups
15 ring muscle ups

I really enjoyed this race. I believe Eric started with 15 CTB pull ups, I did 10, then Mark finished. My CTB pull ups felt like shit today, my hands were really raw and I couldn't get a good grip on the bar, I was hoping to do 15 reps instead of 10 but that wasn't going to happen today. Brandie started the bar MUs, Teej went after her, then me, then Eric. Mark started on the ring muscle ups and I think he did 10 reps, Megan went in but came back out so Mark did 2 more reps then I finished with 3. 

Race 9, 5:00, FF, 2 on the floor working @ once, cannot advance until all reps @all 2 stations are completed:
7 DB burpee clean thrusters, 30/hand
15 box jump overs, 24
60 double unders
3 rope climbs
10 cleans, 115

Eeeeeesh, the DB burpee clean thrusters sucked, I slowed way down around the 4th rep. I probably should have tagged in Brandie but I just stuck with it. My box jump overs were also too slow, Megan was going twice as fast as me so when she was done she finished my reps. She tagged in Brandie and we did the double unders, then I tagged in Megan and she did the rope climbs with Brandie. Megan and I did the cleans and they were very easy, I did all 10 touch and go. 

Race 10, 5:00, MM, 2 on the floor working @ once, cannot advance until all reps @ all 2 stations are completed:
7 DB burpee clean thrusters, 50/hand
15 box jump overs, 30
60 double unders
3 rope climbs
10 cleans, 185

Race 11, 6:00, MMMFFF, relay:
10 DB snatches, 60
3 back roll to support
80' handstand walk
10 burpee w/touch to 10'
15 toes to bar
2 power cleans, 275

The relay is one of my favorite races. Megan did the DB snatches, Eric did the back roll to support, Brandie did  the handstand walk, Mark did the burpees, I did the toes to bar and Teej did the cleans. My toes to bar felt really good and were pretty fast. Everyone did really well on this. 

This was a great practice. My confidence was much higher than last week and I feel more ready for the combine. I'm really happy that Mark, Megan, Brandie and Teej volunteered their time to help Eric and I prepare for the combine. They are the best. 

4/10/2015

AM
35:00 airdyne @Z1

PM
10:00 gymnastics skill work of choice, keep everything easy
+
A. Behind the neck jerk, 10:00 practice w/moderate loads for doubles and triples
B. 1 power snatch + 1 overhead squat, 10x1 @105-125, begin a set every :60
+
800m sled drag easy outside OR 15:00 airdyne @Z1 

AM
complete (making up from Thursday)

PM
complete
+
A. complete up to 145 for a double
B. complete
+
complete w/60# on sled


Really good training day. Gymnastics practice is always very enjoyable, I worked on ring muscle ups, bar muscle ups, and handstand walk. 

The behind the neck jerk was better than I thought it would be, the hardest part is returning it to my back for the second/third reps. The first few sets were a bit awkward since I'm used to jerking from a front rack position but it got better as the weight got heavier. 

Snatches went really well today! Weight felt easy for all sets, I even had a few solid Alex Scott-like bar pop off the hips. 

Overall a very solid day!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

4/8/2015

AM
3 rounds very easy:
200m jog
10 alternating turkish get ups
500m row

PM
A. Squat clean, 5x1 @ 95-115-135-155-175-195 not for time, but only rest long enough to change plates, get focused, and make next lift
+
For time:
20 DB thrusters, 30/hand
10 DB burpee box jump overs, 30/hand, 24"
+
5:00-10:00 rest
+
For time:
4 ring muscle ups
8 bar muscle ups
16 toes to bar
+
5:00-10:00 rest
+
For time:
100m shuttle run (2x25m out and back- not really a sprint)
10 deadlifts, 205
100 double unders
10 handstand push ups, 8" deficit
+
10:00 airdyne @Z1 

AM
complete w/25# KB

PM
A. complete
+
2:29
+
2:03
+
3:21
+
complete


AM session was very enjoyable, breathing was good the whole time. 

The squat cleans were a bit of a mess today, my form just feels off. I was pulling under the bar really slowly. I just don't feel as confident in my lifts right now but I know that will get better once I get back into lifting more regularly. I actually failed my first attempt at 175, my pull was really weird and I caught it in a power position, then I tried squatting it but I felt on my butt. I was pretty pissed, I never fail cleans at 175. I did it again and hit it easily the second time. 195 was heavier than I would have liked, I felt slow standing up out of the squat and I caught it with my feet wider than usual. 

I think DB burpee box overs are my new least favorite movement. These are just terrible. This piece was way too slow. The thrusters were unbroken and were relatively easy but the DB BJO were SO SLOW. They were a lot slower than when I did them on Saturday, my legs were really tired and even coming down off the box was difficult. 

The muscle up piece was alright, I would have liked to get under 2:00. Ring MUs were unbroken. I thought I would be able to do the bar MUs unbroken but I ended up having to break them up 5/3. The TTB took way too long, I was being a bitch on these. I broke them up way too much (7/4/3/2) but I was struggling to hold on to the bar on the last 5 reps, it was getting really slippery. They felt fast but I just broke them up too much.

The last piece was really fun! I really liked the shuttle run, that was cool. Deadlifts were unbroken and pretty easy, double unders were unbroken and HSPU were ALMOST unbroken (got a no-rep on the 10th one, oops). I wish my HSPU would have been faster, although I haven't really done them at an 8" deficit so I guess it's just something I'll have to work on. I felt like I was moving too slow during this one but I couldn't really rush the handstand push ups, I didn't want to go to failure. 

I just need to make myself go faster on literally everything. 


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